“Do we want to do better? Of course,” said Venida Chenault, Haskell’s vice president for academic affairs. “Are we going to make a commitment to that? Of course.”

Southern University at New Orleans and Concordia College at Moorhead, Minn., tied for the lowest rate, at 5 percent. Oglala Lakota College, a tribal college in South Dakota, ranked No. 17 at 11 percent.

Others that were not on the magazine’s list but are included in the government’s database, expressed as percentage of freshmen who enroll and then receive a bachelor’s degree within six years:

• Kansas University, 60 percent.

• Baker University, 59 percent.

• Kansas State University, 58 percent

• University of Missouri, 69 percent.

Haskell’s ranking caught the eye of U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., who for nearly a year has been pressuring the Obama administration to address academic and leadership issues at Haskell.

“It is disappointing to see Haskell high on this list,” Roberts said Tuesday. “I remain concerned about the lack of leadership at Haskell and am committed to working with the Bureaus of Indian Affairs and Education to ensure Haskell students are getting the quality education they deserve.”

Haskell officials note that their school’s overall graduation rate — one that covers all full-time, first-time students seeking certificates or undergraduate degrees — is 26 percent, surpassing the mean of 15 percent posted by tribal colleges and universities overall.

‘In-between category’

And most students at Haskell are seeking associate degrees, not bachelor’s degrees, Chenault said. During the previous four years, 67 percent of Haskell students were enrolled in such two-year degree programs, compared with 33 percent for four-year degrees.

Haskell often gets compared with larger colleges and universities that focus their resources on four-year and advanced degrees, she said. Haskell established its first bachelor’s degree program in 1998.

“We’re in an in-between category,” Chenault said.

Even so, she said, Haskell remains committed to boosting graduation rates for its students, all of whom come from federally recognized American Indian tribes and “address a critical shortage of American Indian professionals in tribal communities.

“Every May, you typically see 150 students walking across the stage, having completed their bachelor’s or associate degrees. That’s not insignificant. That’s going to make a big difference for tribes.”

Success Center to open

This year, new and returning students soon will have a new resource to help guide their way through campus academia. In October, Haskell is planning a grand opening for its new on-campus Haskell Success Center, which will provide centralized advising, retention, outreach and career-placement services.

The goal is to improve student engagement, she said.

Haskell has about 1,000 students this semester, representing about 150 tribes. Students do not pay tuition, and instead pay fees by semester: $215 if living on campus, or $110 for those living off.

The university’s annual budget is about $14.2 million.

Haskell’s top administrator is Chris Redman, an education specialist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs who also serves as acting president. Still listed as Haskell’s president is Linda Warner, who remains a federal employee but has not been on campus for nearly a year, after being reassigned by bureau officials in Washington, D.C., to another federal school for American Indians in New Mexico, and later to a regional bureau office in Oklahoma City.

Earlier this year, bureau officials said that a decision about Haskell’s president would be made sometime after Keith Moore started work as bureau director. Moore started June 1, and no decision has been announced.

Sen. Roberts started voicing concerns last year about leadership issues at Haskell, and has met personally with a former Senate colleague, Ken Salazar, who now is U.S. secretary of the interior — the department that oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs and, therefore, Haskell.

In March, Roberts and other members of Kansas’ congressional delegation had said they were seeking answers about alleged “mismanagement of personnel,” “ethics violations” and other “alarming reports” at the campus.

The search continues, and Roberts noted Tuesday that Haskell’s latest ranking was something to follow.

“Obviously this report speaks to many of the concerns I have raised with Secretary Salazar and I appreciate the attention he is giving to this matter,” Roberts said.

If you only knew what these students have faced in their families . . . many shipped off to Haskell, abandoned, traumatized. They really need to offer orientation and transition courses to help emotionally and spiritually with their journey. Too many of the Haskell students have had childhood experiences and family abuses that leaves scars so deep, the college opportunity can't seep in and become relevant. Plus, Haskell is run so poorly--that never helps.

Oh my gosh, could you be any more full of it. So we are to believe that all of the Haskell students are traumatized and unable to function. Have you spoken to all of the students? No, then how can you speak for them.

You did get the last sentence right. Since the actual president left, Haskell has gone downhill rapidly. The newest dorm has sprouted window air conditioners like a New York tenement.

Whatever the problem, those are abysmal numbers. It is obvious that the students enrolling at Haskell are not prepared for college. My suggestion would be to make Haskell the Harvard of the Native American Colleges. Many of the well adjusted, exemplary Native students are pursued and given great opportunities at Non-tribal colleges. My advice would be to make it worth it to those students to attend Haskell, make the academic critera for admission difficult to attain, and watch Haskell flourish as a Native Ivy League School.

Not everyone is cut out to attend College and that is o.k. Maybe another alternative is needed.

Never going to happen. You say make it worth it to those students to attend Haskell. If you were accepted to an Ivy League or highly selective college, what would it take to get you to attend Haskell instead? My guess is a minimum of $100,000 a year, and even then I doubt you would get any takers for that amount.

I agree it wouldn't be very desirable at the moment. Obviously an individual who is intelligent and determined enough to get into an Ivy league school would probably have enough smarts not to give that up to attend Haskell. But if Haskell's image was changed and it became selective in their admission process, in the future, that could possibly entice better students, maybe not Ivy League students though.

and again, from the article:
-- "Haskell officials note that their school’s overall graduation rate —one that covers all full-time, first-time students seeking certificates or undergraduate degrees — is 26 percent, surpassing the mean of 15 percent posted by tribal colleges and universities overall.
(‘In-between category’)
-- "And most students at Haskell are seeking associate degrees, not bachelor’s degrees, Chenault said. During the previous four years, 67 percent of Haskell students were enrolled in such two-year degree programs, compared with 33 percent for four-year degrees."
-- "Haskell often gets compared with larger colleges and universities that focus their resources on four-year and advanced degrees, she said. Haskell established its first bachelor’s degree program in 1998."

if i may offer a better question: how many of the students who first enroll in haskell (or any of the other campuses listed in the article) eventually graduate in good standing from ANY institution?
(time limits of 4 years or 5 years don't really matter much for this question;
the question is about whether students matriculate, and also later graduate.)

to ask this question another way:
how many of us on this thread attended the same college/university, and graduated within four years from that same college/university?
probably nothing close to 100%. or even 60%.

mr. kealing,
again just wondering, but does anyone know the answer to my previous question:
how many of the students who first enroll in haskell (or any of the other campuses listed in the article) eventually graduate in good standing from ANY institution?
(time limits of 4 years or 5 years don't really matter much for this question;
the question is about whether students matriculate, and also later graduate.)

Some schools may know the answer but most don't. Say KU gets 6,000 freshmen (guesstimate) and 2400 of them don't graduate based on the 60% number. The burden of tracking 2400 people dropping out and then what happens to them after they leave would be a lot of work.

The main reason you see the numbers in the article is because "The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, requires that institutions that participate in federal student aid programs report data on enrollments, program completions, graduation rates, faculty and staff, finances, institutional prices, and student financial aid." It is not on any altruistic motivation of the colleges that they compile these numbers.

Now, there are some schools that can and do actually do this work. However, these are the schools with 90% plus graduation rates. If you have 1,500 or so freshman and 98% graduate in 6 years, it is a lot easier to keep track of the 30 who don't and what happens to them...

Wasn't there a recent issue (last year I think) about Haskell offering more BA programs and adding Masters/PhD programs? I think the suggestion or implication would be that Haskell students would have to begin paying full tuition and fees, like students at KU or K-State. There was an enormous backlash and many students were VERY upset. I am wondering though, would Haskell's students flourish more if the school had more to offer, and the funds from incoming students to help make it happen? I don't mean to offend anyone, I don't know exactly how these things work, and certainly I understand why Haskell students would not want to have to pay for the same amount of tuition that other students pay...especially since Haskell was originally assimilation hell..

Beyond the cultural problems students may face, a huge problem is the lack of funding that Haskell receives. Compared to state colleges in Kansas, funding is very low. For example, attempt to email a Haskell faculty member. Often you cannot do it. Haskell has insufficient funds to even provide internet access to all of its faculty members.

KU has funding problems but nothing compared to Haskell. Oh yes, for anyone who attends KU, you have a partial state government handout. If you attended a pubic high school, you have experienced a government handout.

Those who complain about government handouts should consider that if you do not want any government handouts, then your children will need to attend private schools.

There is a very large difference between a handout and attending a public high school paid for with my tax dollars.

I see where you are going with that, but the state pays for only a portion of most college's bill - whereas Haskell charges almost nothing to the students there. I do agree that colleges should all be made private - there is enough private money that funding colleges is no longer necessary, but the state does benefit from colleges in terms of higher wages and taxes paid into the state's coffers.

Lies, misinformation or incorrect information. Lack of funding has nothing to do with it. There are schools around the world, some of them one room school houses, who turn out quality students. Look at the quality of students that come from home schooling. Don't make the mistake that the KC school district and the Los Angeles school district did and confuse funding with success. Their is no coorelation between the two.

And Haskell can provide internet access to all of its faculty members. Whether or not they are too lazy to go set up that faculty member is a different story.

I have actually read some of the treaties which you are referring to and don't remember that being in there. I also find it very hard to believe that it says that the govt is to provide a college education to Indians at no cost - especially considering these treaties were written at a time most people were well educated if they made it through the equivalent of fifth or sixth grade.

We do actually provide a pretty good education to Indians and lots of other people - right up until 12th grade.

You don't have to look it up. I will give you the answer. No, there is no treaty obligation for the government to provide a college education to native american students. High school yes, higher education no.

That is the reality. You will hear people talking about how Haskell is in partial fufillment of treaty rights but not one of them can show you a single treaty where that is listed.

It is another of the big lies that underperforming faculty, staff and students trot out in an attempt to obfuscate the issue and distract from their excellent retention and graduation rate.

emaw hit it, I couldn't agree more. It seems that Haskell students spend a lot of time getting involved with the local yahoos who oopose the South Lawrence Trafficway and other local issues instead of doing what they came here for, getting an education. I hear some advocates for the Native Americans yelling that they want to keep things like they were for their ancestors. I do not see them tearing up paved roads, tearing down power lines, putting up native dwellings, getting rid of their cars, or other such "modern" elements of their "native heritage". So why is it so important to get involved in obstructing this badly needed roadway? This is nothing new of course, I went to college and there were the usual malcontents creating hate and discontent for most any issues that they could find and ignoring the reasons they came to school in the first place. But these fortunate Native American students, who have an education provided for them, much of it financed by the taxpayers, seem to have lost their direction in getting their education. And the administration of the college does not help, for they themsleves get involved in these obstructive demonstrations against the community that hosts and supports them.

This article should surprize no one. There seems to be a lot of soul-searching needed here to determing the true purpose of ecuation, and it is not replacing the clog in a drainage system that county workers have cleared earlier in the week.

I think it is time to just clean house at Haskell. Starting with the entire administration and a majority of the faculty. Then make admission requirements much more difficult. I haven't any problem with the government funding the school, because that was the agreed upon deal, but lets have it be a useful expenditature.

Here is a portion of the information from their website. There is a requirement for a diploma or GED, but the main requirements are these:

Students with a composite score of 19 ACT/910 SAT or above qualify for admission.

Students with a composite score of 18 ACT/870 SAT or below must meet two of the following
three criteria:*
• A Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.
• A composite of 15 ACT/740 SAT or above.
• High school class ranking of 50% or better, or proof of military service.

However, notice as another example of the incompetence practiced at Haskell that the SAT scores are those from the old test. Under the current SAT test a 910 equates to an 11 on the ACT, with a 600 as the minimum score. The 740 number equates to no number on the chart from the California Education system. It would be in the single digits.

My point is the same school that graduates 9% of its students hasn't bothered to look at, analyze or update their admissions standards since 2006. Great job guys.

That is actually incorrect the required 870 is a combination of the math and verbal scores only of the SAT, which is still on par with about an 18 on the ACT. The third section of SAT is not widely used by college admissions at any level. So no they will not accept anybody that wants to attend, you do need to graduate from hs with a 2.0 gpa or for schools that use a numerical average, that would equate to a 75.

Then they should say that they only require the math and verbal score. Look on some college admission sites and you will see if they don't need the writing score they say it. If they just use the math and verbal they say it.

Also I wouldn't say that the writing sections is not widely used by college admissions at any level. The College Board's research showed the 39% did use it, with a large number waiting for the research to show how well a predictor the writing section turns out to be.

That research has just recently been completed and the results are as follows:

"For both the University of California and the College Board studies, the results are similar. Writing is the most predictive section of the SAT, slightly more predictive than either math or critical reading. In the California study, SAT scores were slightly more predictive than high school grade point average (HSGPA). In the College Board analysis of the more than 150,000 students included in all 110 ACES studies, HSGPA was slightly more predictive than SAT scores."

And yes, they will let almost anyone in. Graduate in the top half of your class, take the SAT and get a minimum of 740 over the three sections. And yes I called earlier today and spoke with a person in the admissions office and they said they used the three sections to determine your score. So unless they were in error, it looks to me like they will pretty much admit anyone...

As an Indian who went to a state school, I have some agreements and some disagreements.

Those who don't want the students involved in local political issues should take a long walk off a short pier. That IS education, and of a kind that's sorely needed in most of Indian Country.

Those who want Haskell closed have a point.

I expect it would be MORE expensive to comply with treaty obligations by handing out the bucks for Indians to attend first rate schools, but that was the whole idea--comply on the cheap and control what is taught to the potential subversives.

Entrance requirements: I object. Like most Indians, I did not finish high school. I basically talked my way in on academic probation and graduated in four years, magna cum laude. I've since been tenured at two universities. So I'm not impressed with paper admission requirements.

ON THE OTHER HAND, adequate preparation is hard to come by for most if not all Indian students. When you walk in the door, you need to read and write and figure at the college level or you will crash against reality.

THEREFORE, why not turn Haskell into a serious prep school with the mission of filling up the scholarships that go begging at Ivy League schools?

Why not ask the feds to comply with treaty obligations by funding linkage agreements between Haskell Prep and various state universities? Create federal incentives for state universities to waive tuition for all Indians with a historical footprint in a particular state? (Some states already do this, with no incentives.)

So really you are saying to just turn Haskell back into a high school, just a really good one.

What makes you think that would work any better than what is there now? Have you seen the students that roll out of BIA boarding schools? Go out to the Haskell campus and look around and you will see some of them. Wait, not really. Those students will still be in their rooms asleep till noon. Maybe try later in the day...

Do you believe that it is the fault of the BIA school or a fault of the student?

You have posted very arguments concerning the abysmal failures of Haskell in your posts, but I haven't seen your opinion as to the course of action you believe best for Haskell. What do you think should be done?

There is a lot of money invested in Haskell. If it isn't creating any other result other than to temporarily house and feed young people, what is the point of continuing to perpetuate the failures? I had some experience with Haskell students taking classes up at KU. In most cases, the individual student was not capable of performing at an acceptable rate. That isn't to suggest that there weren't KU students who didn't match that absymal performance, it is just my observation concerning the Haskell students. The ones that I interacted with in undergraduate classes had terrible attendance, inadequate writing skills, and an apparent apathy concerning their education. I did have positve experiences with the students from Haskell in graduate classes though.

The BIA has no good figureheads. The last BIA figurehead came out to campus, gave a campaign speech, cried and kissed some babies and said he would fix the problems. He left and five or six months later, nothing has changed. Wait, I take that back. The director of post-secondary education managed to fly around the counrty on junkets paid for with my tax dollars while one of her schools was having its accreditation revoked. Atta' girl Birdwell!

Haskell doesn't need to reinvent itself either. Haskell needs to have faculty and administrators who realize and understand that the students are there to get an education. Not to link arms and sing Kumbya, not there to organize protests, or to go out, party and have faculty impregnate them.

Notice I said faculty and administrators, not the students. As another poster pointed out, the students can learn a lot from each other through protests that they organize. The moment a faculty member starts giving points out for organizing and attending protests, any real learning is lost.

My final suggestion would be that the administrators need to remember that they are in charge, not the students. That's why they are called students, they're there to learn. I don't care if every student shows up and protests and says "We don't want to take any math classes." As the administrator, you go out and say, "Thank you, we respect your opinion but we are still going to have math classes." The current Vice President of Academic Affairs is so wishy-washy she has dumbed down the curriculum and the sad part is that they still can't get more than 9% of them through it in six years.

Why do we have to send Indian kids to school? Because we agreed to do it many years ago. Sorry if it inconvenient to you to honor a treaty that we signed many years ago. And I'm sure every Indian is relieved to hear the government is going to solve their problems.....again. The U.S. government has such a strong tradition of treating American Indians with respect and honor.

Come on.

Do you remember Carlisle Indian School? In 1910s, the Indians were a football powerhouse that included Jim Thorpe and Gus Welch. I hope you know about Thorpe, but how about Welch? After starring for the Carlisle football team that defeated an Army team that included President Eisenhower, he enrolled in the Army and won a medal in World War I in France. Carlisle was plagued by some of the same problems that Haskell faces today before it was closed down. Why are we afraid to look at the past and make sure we don't repeat the same mistakes?

The issue is how to improve the educatuon and graduation rates at Haskell, Ask the students. Both current, recent graduates and dropouts will tell you all about it. This is where it starts and ends.

Finally, how can anyone in Lawrence criticize Haskell students for joining a protest in protecting wetlands? Look at the history of the U.S. government seizing their land again and again. How is that a waste of time for the students at Haskell?

Compare it to the students at KU who camp out overnight for a good seat at a basketball game that builds momentum for a post-game party. If you are a Jayhawk fan, how can you blast the Haskell Administration when the KU athletic department is such a mess right now. I don't understand how a community that relishes the Border War tradition with Mizzou, but ignores Haskell's long tradition as well.

Your argument is flawed. You say ask the students, the current students as the saying goes, "don't know what they don't know." Earlier in the year a student was gushing on and on about how great the Haskell experience was. The only problem is that he had never been anywhere else. Why ask the dropouts? They don't know either.

I do agree about asking recent graduates. My experience with an admittedly small sample size is that Haskell is a joke and if they knew then what they knew now they would have gone to a different school. The problem is that once students get into the Haskell system, the switching cost is kept artificially high by the incompetent faculty and staff to try and prevent people who have made the mistake of attending, the opportunity to leave.

let's see, this morning after I had a debate with a Roberts staffer whom I hung up on, I thought
about the garbage I'd eventually hear on this post. For the people who think handouts are
happening, if you don't want to pay for Haskell, leave the land you live on that this government
stole for you between 1790 and 1887. And if you don't believe that, go to Kappler's treaties
and learn about the Civilization Act of March 3, 1819, where the U.S. Govenrment promised
to educate Native children in return for cession of tribal lands. Then learn about the Manypenny
treaties which through the intimidated cession of 13 million acres from the Shawnee, Delaware,
Kickapoo, Wyandotte, Wea, Piankishaw, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Miami, Sac and Fox, and Iowa tribes,
allowed all of eastern Kansas to be settled. The land Lawrence sets on was Shawnee and
Delaware land. In all there are more than 110 treaties in the 19th century that provided for
education in return for the taking of lands.

On the subject of Haskell, as the article stated there are many more Associated degrees
than four year degrees awarded. I have an acquantance who graduated from Haskell
then graduated from KU Law School and is now an attorney for the BIA. Mr. Robert's
staffers didn't give me a chance to get to that point. They were to busy spin doctoring to
listen to constituent comments and they're more interested in procuring monies to initiate
the SLT and screw Haskell over than do anything for Haskell. The Republicans have
consistently underfunded Haskell and denied funding to BIA Trade Schools in North Dakota,
Much of this noise now is about getting an agreer back into office. Much of the US Government's
policies dealing with Native peoples has always been about finding agreers to bow on the
behalf of people who don't agree and want different things done. The US Government's
divide and conquer philosophy is always in play in Indian Country.

You state, "And if you don't believe that, go to Kappler's treaties and learn about the Civilization Act of March 3, 1819, where the U.S. Govenrment promised to educate Native children in return for cession of tribal lands." Not true. The Civilization Act had nothing to do with how the, "U.S. Govenrment(sic) promised to educate Native children in return for cession of tribal lands." If you had actually read the act you would have seen it was designed to assimilate indians and had nothing to do with cession of tribal lands.

I can't even follow your conversation when you say you are going to address the subject of Haskell. I got the part where you tried to tell Robert's staff that you have an aquaintance who attended Haskell and is an attorney for the BIA. So what? How does that apply to Haskell? And from looking at the graduation rate, Roberts doesn't have to screw over Haskell, it would appear it is screwing itself over just fine without any outside help. The rest of your comments just appears to be whining...

I don't mean to imply that everything the government did regarding Indian affairs was right, because it wasn't. That said, those tribes you are referring to couldn't agree amongst themselves which land belonged to which tribe. The Europeans didn't understand the entire hierarchy of tribal organization because it didn't fit with the European worldview. A tribe could have many elders, which the members of the tribe were not required to listen to. There are many cases of Indians that didn't fulfill the treaty obligations made on behalf of their tribe becuase they didn't agree with them. My point is that there was no trust on either side of the other party, and good reason for both sides to not trust the other. It's not as black and white as you present it.

It was a very unfortunate clash of two very different civilizations that fundamentally didn't understand each other or trust each other. I'm not sure that with the worldview of the parties involved there was any way for everyone to live peacefully here.

My wife and I have these questions:
1. Why isn’t Dr. Warner back at Haskell? Aapparently she is badly needed there.
2. Why is Ms. Stephanie Bighorn-Birdwell still in charge of the only two U.S. government ran Native American colleges (One that has lost it’s accreditation and one that can’t graduate students with bachelors degrees) ( not that they have many to choose from the U.S. government may want to take a good look at that)?
3. Why is Venida Chenault speaking to the press? Isn’t there a gag order on Haskell employees? Would seem like discrimination to us, to let one employee speak, but not the others.
4. We read in the LJW that Chris Redman was back as Haskell’s acting president, why isn’t he speaking? He is there isn’t he?
5. Does anyone know what Senator Roberts is doing about all of this? Someone needs to go over there, close the place down and send these kids somewhere, where they can get a real education and have some choices in degree programs. Why does a “university” even have two year degrees?
6. My wife and I both agree that Haskell’s time has come and gone, unfortunately mainly gone.

I'm kind of confused, how an institution be in an in between category? Clearly Haskell is not in the university category, it sounds to me like it should be in a junior college category. The low graduation rate should be a major red flag and indicator of how this school is not student focused. Does the school have a student affairs division? Does the school have advising for students and career counseling? Shouldn't retention be an ongoing concern for any institution? I tried looking on the school's website but it is not user friendly and has dated information. What were the graduation rates in previous years? How does this compare to other tribal colleges?

I have experienced the Haskell Indian Nations University experience and I can tell everyone that thinks that HINU is a waste or a joke. That it is truly a place of opportunity. I left a home in 1999 from a small town in Oklahoma, to attend HINU. Why did I choose HINU simply the cost, I was not sure I was cut out for college. I was a average High school student with a decent 3.25 GPA. But leaving my family and comforts of a structured enviroment was a bit overwhelming. But I have always had a great support system from my family and friends that push me to be the best I can be. I remeber the night before I left my grandma told me that if I go and try my best then it is not a failure but a learning experience in itself, even if i didn't get a degree, never trying is truly failure. I got to HINU and found out that I could make it and I actually liked college and the courses. I found a community there that supported one another. But I also saw social problems that I never saw before, where young adults couldn't handle the pressures of being away from home or a new enviroment. Since starting college I have been involved in research and jobs within Indian country as a whole. I see these issues all over Indian Country. The people have lost hope and our children live in extremely poor conditions, failed education systems, horrible housing, and over all well being all take a back seat to surviving. HINU's problems can't be blamed on faculty and administration totally. The people of Indian country need to understand that college and education can change their overall enviroments and take some pride in themselves to want a better future for future generations. Now HINU needs to get back to a place of community and supporting of its students. The administration, faculty, and board of Regents need to do a self evalution and realize they are there for the students. If the students were to go home then there is no need for them. Put all the differences,opinions, self interests, and and all the other BS aside and focus on the students and educating and supporting them. Many of these students dont' have the self esteem or confidence to truly believe they can make it outside of their home communities and HINU should be the place that shows them that they can. I am a successful graduate of HINU with a bachelor's degree. I could have left after a year or two but I truly loved the school and Lawrence. I left got a MBA and have a successful career and I am not the only one I have friends all over the country that are success stories as well and contribute it to HINU. I believe in HINU and will be a HINU Fightin Indian til the DAY I DIE.

The administration, faculty, and board of Regents need to do a self evaluation and realize they are there for the students

Put all the differences, opinions, self interests, and all the other BS aside and focus on the students and educating and supporting them."

And therein lies the problem... The current administration, faculty and Board of Regents have not, are not and will not do the above. They have their comfy little gig all lined out and are not interested in doing anything to mess it up. I could provide you with stories about how a student took their parent's old tests from 1990 as study guides and when they arrived last year they found out they were using the same tests. Not similar, the exact same test twenty years later. So to hope that the people at Haskell would engage in this self-examination is well intended, but unlikely to occur.

I put the same question to you that I put to Larry Echohawk, Keith Moore, Stephanie Birdwell, et. al. Would you send your child to Haskell? The answer to that is a resounding no. That should tell you everything you need to know.

"Administrators point to problems with data but acknowledge they want to do better."

Yeah, right. Chenault, Goodfox, Tsosie and others worked as hard as they could to get rid of anyone who attempted to actually make things better. Warner is gone. Blackbird is gone. Contracts of key people have not been renewed. Students are upset. Good hearted faculty and staff are worried. The members of the Board of Regents are incompetent.

Given past behavior, It is very hard to believe anything Chenault says. This lack of doing anything to better the situation is about maintaining the comfort of the VP and her friends. It's appalling what goes on at Haskell, what has been done to some people, and this story and the comments here are just the tip of the iceberg. Very sad.

Practicality: "I did have positve experiences with the students from Haskell in graduate classes though." Wow. What department are you in?

ssakcaj, I'm Choctaw, if you go back in our history from the treaty of Doak's Stand in 1820
and Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830, land cessions were part of the assimilation process,
as were the christian preysbyterian schools that Choctaws went to kentucky in the early 1820's. Accounts were established from monies made from the sales of Indian land
and held in trust by the treasury department of the US. So much money would be deducted
from each tribe's federal account to pay for students taught at christian missions and later
in the 19th century when the boarding schools took native children by force away from their homes. From the times in the early 19th century when the BIA hired blacksmiths to teach
young native men job skills to the point when the boarding schools started in the late
1870's, money was deducted from tribal funds held in escrow from land sales. My
acquaintance was an example of showing that one politician could not paint Haskell
with a broad brush. However the less one knows the easier it is I guess.

Again, you made the comment, "And if you don't believe that, go to Kappler's treaties and learn about the Civilization Act of March 3, 1819, where the U.S. Govenrment(sic) promised to educate Native children in return for cession of tribal lands."

I restate, The Civilization Act had nothing to do with how the, "U.S. Govenrment(sic) promised to educate Native children in return for cession of tribal lands." If you had actually read the act you would have seen it was designed to assimilate indians and had nothing to do with cession of tribal lands.

Other acts, laws and treaties may have involved cession of land in exchange for education rights. The fact remains that The Civilization act did not. You were the one who cited it, the least you can do is to know what it actually says.

I currently attend Haskell and I appreciate the oppurtunity at a somewhat free education.

Haskell has problems, yes. I don't know what's going on with the admin or staff there. I hear things. I don't care about them, I'm there to EARN my degree. The problem seems that HINU is cursed because it has become a rumour mill.

Not every student at Haskell cares for their education. I assure you this is the case at every University on the planet, including your precious KU. I mean, it isn't the Haskell student body filling up the bars downtown every weekend. There's only 1,000 students in attendance at HINU, how many students at KU????

I just want to encourage every native student at Haskell to stay strong. Don't listen to what these white people are saying about you or the institution you chose to attend. The only person who could cause you to fail is yourself.

For you white people, believe me when I say, we talk about you ALL the time. It would burn you up inside to hear some of the things we say openly about you at Haskell. Maybe you heard about that. Probably why you want to shut it down.

But, look at the things you say openly about us. In daily publications. Heck, we even have our own bashing section on LJW.

Keep talking LJW, Haskell isn't going anywhere. I mean we got a black president. I thought you white people knew that we darkies like to stick together. We could care less what you think about us, so get use to it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Been there, done that, more times than you have even dreamed of, 3. You are missing the point here. HINU administration is corrupt and the students got the short stick, whether you know it or not. Apparently not. What makes you think everyone who has serious concerns about Haskell is white? Get a clue. And get out of AIS.

been where and done what more time than I have even dreamed of?? I'm no child. I have 3 kids of my own and I've made over 70k a year w/o a degree. I'm in the business program at Haskell. Of course, it wouldn't make a difference to you would it?

you do understand that while the graduation rate is low...it doesn't take into account the students who get their associates degree and transfer to another college/university. those students don't count as graduated, hence the low 4 year graduation rate. Its understood that even with that; its not where it should be, but its not as poor as being reported. The numbers are only counting 4 year graduates. its much like when publications report low grad rates for D1 football and basketball programs, those numbers in some cases reflect an accurate picture, but if KU has 3 freshman transfer, those numbers are going to be reported as students that failed to graduate, as opposed to a student that doesn't finish school period. Haskell has to improve, but it provided a service an opportunity for those that want to take advantage of it

That is incorrect. If you were familiar with the IPEDS reporting format you would know that is taken into account.

•Incoming students that are seeking a bachelors degree should be reported in column 02. If there are any entering students who are seeking an associates degree or undergraduate certificates, they will be generated in column 03.

•In the columns below, report the status of the Bachelor's degree-seeking students reported in the subcohort in Col 10.
•Those undergraduate students who attained OTHER THAN A BACHELOR'S DEGREE within 150% of normal time as of August 31, 2008 should be reported in either Col 11 or 12, depending on the length of the program.
•Those who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% or normal time should be reported in Col 18.

•In the columns below, report the status of the BACHELOR'S DEGREE-SEEKING STUDENTS reported in the subcohort in Col 10, who did not complete a program as of August 31, 2008.
•Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Col 30. If the mission of your institution includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution WITHOUT having completed their programs, you must report transfer-out data in column 30. A school is required to report only on those students that the school knows have transferred to another school. A school must document that the student actually transferred. If it is not part of your mission, you may report transfer-out data if you wish.

So as much as people might want to try and spin this, Haskell's numbers are horrible. Please don't try and make excuses for them. Their performance is inexcusable

You may be wrong this is post from the author of the original article in regards to how the rate was calculated, using the IPEDS you mention, though I don't doubt your knowledge of the columns on the form. The bottom paragraph discusses students who transfer out. From what I saw they never really discussed in the article how they calculated the grad rate, but his response clears it up somewhat.

" I know a number of people raised concerns about Concordia College at Moorhead. All the graduation rate figures used in the article came from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, which is hosted by the National Center for Education Statistics. We used only the graduate statistics for bachelor's degree students within six years (East-West University, for example offers degrees in addition to bachelor's). We did not consider students in non-bachelor's degree programs in either the numerator or denominator).

The issue with Concordia's data is the wrong figure ended up in the IPEDS database. The data entered says it had 38 students earn a bachelor's degree within six years out of a total cohort of 727--which is about 5 percent. If you want to see the raw files yourself, I've posted the cohort file here Concorida College at Moorhead is row 712) and the number of completers here (Concordia College at Moorhead is row 698). I don't know how the wrong figure ended up in IPEDS--it is self reported so either Concordia entered the wrong figure or somehow numbers were transposed in the data entry process. But if you go into IPEDS now and download their bachelor's degree six-year graduation rate figure for 2008, it still gives you 5% as the rate.

In terms of transfer students, I agree that is a weakness in the federal graduation rate data, but it's worth noting a few things. First, transfer rates are an optional number reported by schools, so the figures aren't consistent. Second, there is no guarantee that a transfer student ends up graduating elsewhere--only about 1/3 of transfer students get a bachelor's degree, so it isn't right to let schools off the hook because they couldn't hold on to their students. Third, we are talking about four-year institutions where the mission is not to produce transfer students (like say a community college), but to get them to graduate. It says something about the school when they have a large number of transfer students. Finally, I'd just point out that even if you took Chicago State's transfer students out, its graduation rate is still just 18 percent."

I hope that answers some questions. If you have others, feel free to reach me on my e-mail address, which is bmiller [at] educationsector.org.

The beauty and the sadness of Haskell is that as the Haskell admin mentioned, they consider theirselves "in-between," and as such they do report transfer out data or at least they did in the couple of data sets I looked at.

The authors probably didn't calculate anything, there is already a preset variable on the IPEDS database that lets you select the six year graduation rate.

So I would venture a guess that Haskell's number is truly as bad as it looks...

ssakcaj, someone here is not realizing that education was part of the assimilation process
mentioned in the Civilization Act of 1819. You made me quote page 6 from the Book
"Education for Extinction", by David Wallace Adams. In 1818 the House Commission on Indian
Affairs urged Congress to "Put into the hands of their children the primer and the hoe, and they will naturally in time take hold of the plough, and as their minds become enlightened and expand, the bible
will be their book, and they will grow up in habits of morality and industry leave the chase to those
whose minds are less cultivated, and become useful members of society". A year later Congress created the Civilization Fund, an annual appropriation of $10,000 to be administered by Thomas
McKinney, the nation's first Superintendant of Indian Affairs. It was in this time that Choctaw
children were educated in Kentucky as I mentioned earlier. Furthermore, on page 680 of Cohen's
Handbook of Indian Law, Two years later Congress responded by establishing a permanent
annual appropriation of ten thousand dollars the tribes to the habits and arts of civilization
footnote 13, Act of March 3, 1819, the Civilization Act. The President was authorized
specifically to employ instructors for Indians in reading writing arithmatic and agriculture with the consent of the tribes. Following existing policy the President distributed this appropriation, along with other treaty funds that became available for educaitonal purposes, to missionary organizations
and religious groups prominent in the effort to civilize Indians. Gee do much research? I simply
went to my personal library and found these quotes in my lawbook and the book previously mentioned. I personally marked every treaty between 1820 and 1880 where this education promise
was made when I was previously doing research on a project at Haskell a decade ago.

the civilization act of 1819 created the place where future monies from land cessions
could be deposited for schooling purposes with tribal children. Example A, said tribe
cedes lands, and the US Congress with it's plenary powers would ratify the cession
of lands, and the treaty would outline what funds from the sale of lands to the public
would go where, like general tribal funds, payments for debts to licensed traders,
agrIcultural equipment and instructors and monies for teachers and school
supplies which eventually became JOM funds in the mid 1920's. The Act mentioned
and the beginning monies led to the mentioning of monies in future treaties
throughout the 19th century where monies were set aside per treaty stipulations
for educational purposes as I ORIGINALLY STATED.

"... the Civilization Act of March 3, 1819, where the U.S. Govenrment(sic) promised
to educate Native children in return for cession of tribal lands."

That is absolutely not true.

There was no quid pro quo. Oh my gosh, I used Latin, you can barely understand English. Let me try this again...

There was not something, a promise for education, given for something else, "cession of tribal lands." That just did not occur in the Civilization Act of 1819. Whether this occured in later treaties, or legislation is irrelevent to the fact that your original statement is incorrect.

"There was no quid pro quo. Oh my gosh, I used Latin, you can barely understand English. Let me try this again..."

What purpose does saying this serve? What I wrote about talking about white people, this is why I said those things. For people like you. You are not a treaty expert. The point the young man was making is this; You DO NOT PAY FOR OUR EDUCATION. The land that the government STOLE from us pays for it. Simply because it does not specify college or higher education means that we cannot use OUR money the way we want??? Get lost.

Don't you sit there and suggest that you know whats best. I assure you that you little to NOTHING about anything. Obviously, you're a hateful individual. Get use to us, we aren't going anywhere.

While playing around with IPEDS, I decided to do a comparison using "Graduation rate - Bachelor degree within 6 years, American Indian or Alaska Native." I used the same variables as used in the article. Notice how Haskell proudly sits there with its 9%. But notice where KU is sitting, a staggering 63%. For anyone mathematically impaired, let me help you out. The University of Kansas graduation rate is 8 times larger than Haskell's. Let me say it again, 8 times the rate of Haskell.

It appears KU had 43 incoming freshmen and graduated 27, while Haskell had 191 full-time first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate, so we should be comparing the same group. Haskell would have graduated 17 students. So it would appear that KU turns out to be the better Native American college than Haskell...

If I were the Chief Academic Officer at Haskell I would turn my letter of resignation in tomorrow. It has become obvious at this point that whoever is in the position has no clue to what they are doing or is supposed to be doing.

just for curiositie's sake I looked at the Quapaw Treaty of 1833 where that tribe ceded away
all of their lands in the territory of Arkansas. This treaty began with a land cession. By article
III, the president, Andrew Jackson and the United States appropriate a thousand dollars per year
for educational purposes. Quid pro quo, the tribe cedes land, the US Government makes promises
of education, and maybe the US Government follows through with this promise. Later when the
Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma was allotted and royalties from timber, coal and other minerals
accrue, the funds were applied towards many things including the funding of schools by
the Council of the Choctaw Nation before the tribal governments were dissolved in 1906
and Oklahoma became a state in 1907. What I've tried to say for some time now was
that the US wanted land and assimilation from tribes. The promise of education in return
for the cessions of land was a carrot that was waved in front of tribes. The Choctaw
people historically valued education. The value of education in the pursuit of assimilation
was tied to the diminishing of lands and tribal identity. The Civilization Act made the possibility
of education available in return for ceding lands and becoming civililzed. Sell lands through
treaty and we'll give you money... where did the idea for assimilation and education
come from...

Although the Civilization Act stipulated a federal contribution of $10,000 per annum, in reality the federal portion remained below 10 percent. While the denominational groups raised additional funds, the Indian nations absorbed the greatest expense for their children's schooling because tribal leaders appropriated funds designated by educational provisions in their treaties. More than one-fourth of the almost four hundred treaties negotiated between Indian nations and the United States contained federal promises of education.( excerpt taken from US History Encyclopedia 2009 online
which backs up what I was asserting to begin with)

This is apparently what people who show up at Haskell for a degree can expect:
To stay at the school 7-8 years or longer and still not receive a degree.
To have more course offerings in two year degrees than four and no master’s program.
To have the room that you pre-assigned up for to be given away.
To maybe sleep with a faulty member or two along the way (this can get you excused from class for the entire semester, all that is then required of you is to show up and pretend to take the final).
To have the president of your school detailed, leaving it with NO leadership, unless you want to call Chris Redman’s occasional appearance on campus leadership. The guy isn’t even qualified to be a college president, but never mind.
To have a new VP whose real skills appear to be a comedian. We wonder if he is still laughing today? Probably, all the way to the bank on Haskell’s dime. Just like the rest of them.
To have Stephanie Birdwell-Bighorn, who is not only unqualified for her position, but apparently also has no skills for it in be in charge of your education. Just like she is in charge of Sipi’s they just lost their accreditation and now it appears Haskell may not be far behind. My wife and I doubt that the higher Learning Commission can over look Haskell’s dismal graduation numbers.
To have a Bureau of Indian Affairs who apparently does not care about Haskell running your school. What did that Echohawk guy ever do to help Haskell or Sipi? Anything? We mean besides cry?! He should have backed a good president ( Dr.Warner, when he had one there). Haskell’s presidents never last very long and now we know why, when they get a good one who tries to make positive changes for the STUDENTS, they get rid of them! Why? Because the employees might have to actually do their jobs! And they don’t want to work (okay, not all of them).
To run into one of these people if you live in housing and most Haskell students do. Dorm staff who think they have been abducted by aliens, another one who makes quilts and tries to get students to do her work, while she is at work, another one who thinks she works at Disneyland (and maybe she does, my wife and I are pretty sure that second in command over there at housing could be Mickey Mouse) he does nothing for those students living in the dorms except smile and wave, take a good look at Roe Cloud, we drove by it this morning and it looks like a ghetto with all of those window air units hanging out on boards! Such a shame, we remember when that WAS a beautiful building.
Con't

Con't
Not to mention: Princess Crazyhair, Venida Chenault, Dan Wildcat and that group, they should have been long gone, with the people who call themselves The Haskell Board of Regents, and take their ring leader, George Tiger with them.
As long time residents of Lawrence and taxpayers, we certainly hope that Senator Pat Roberts is going to do something about this, we support him.
The students are not to blame; it is the Haskell environment, that’s to blame. But most of all it is Larry Echohawk, he is at the top and yet he corrects nothing.
At this rate, Haskell will cease to exist.

"Haskell is planning a grand opening for its new on-campus Haskell Success Center" Who is going to make it a success? The same people who are currently in charge and digging Haskell's grave? Sounds like the PR campaign that they came up with to me. Unfortunately Native education is suffering at the hands of these people. Why are they not being detailed out? I don't understand how the BIA is just sitting around watching all of this happen. Where's that guy that came to Haskell crying from Washington D.C. at?

graduation rate low-remember Haskell don't have thousands of student attending. i dont know how much but i would estimate like 1600-2000 students? i graduated in 1996, in those days we had a college president who care much about students. after i left and up to date i notice there were at least 6 president that came and went. WHY? I think its all political. its just like the story about half bucket full of crab. i don't Haskell the school itself has nothing to do with low graduation rate. i can honestly say its the students fault. i seen it, been there.

Before the well-informed readers of the LJW join in the calvalcade of negativity about Haskell, they might consider the fact that among minority students across the state of Kansas--including African American, Hispanic, and Native American students---just barely half are graduating with HIGH SCHOOL diplomas. At the same time, over 80% of white Kansas high school students are graduating with diplomas.

Kansas has a shamefully low graduation rate for non-white students. Would you LJW readers propose we close all Kansas High Schools because of their persistently dismal performance on non-white graduation rates?

I am appalled and disgusted by the ignorance and racism evident in many of these posts. Ya'll must have been sleeping when they taught about the Golden Rule in Sunday School. And ya'll must be braindead to fail to understand the long reaching value of a good education for each and every one of our citizens.